Fast forward to late 2008; two of the three original founders of Florida Sun (William Bargeron and Aaron Nichols) still
had a desire to form a music performance organization in Tampa. We decided it was time to move forward with another
venture, one that had to encompass more than just an indoor drumline or even a just a drum and bugle corps. We
envisioned something that would truly define what it is to be an Arts Organization. That is, to be all-inclusive and
supportive of other arts organizations who exist within the same community.
Learning from the previous experience of the Florida Sun Percussion Ensemble as well as other organizations who have
attempted to start a Tampa based drum and bugle corps in the past, we knew that we had to have a solid
foundation that included: financial stability, the support of the local music educators, experienced instructional staff, a
strong leadership team, and mutually beneficial partnerships that will support the goals of our organization.
Over the past year (2009) SAY has assembled a solid leadership team (see personnel), began the development of our
Winterguard Ensemble – Synergy in Arts Independent (see ensembles), and (through a generous donation) have acquired a
complete set of Ludwig marching drums and equipment. Also, we are in the final stages of becoming an Explorer Post with the Boy Scouts of America. We are currently developing our 2010 fundraising plan and actively recruiting for leadership positions to include an experienced fundraising director. We are also keeping our eyes open for potential board members who can complement our existing board with professional, leadership, and/or arts and music experience.
Future
| SAY Five Year Plan | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
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| Project 1 | File for 501 (c)(3) status | Florida Sun Independent Indoor Drumline | Marching/performance arts clinics and seminars | Synergy Projects | Projects focused on at-risk youth |
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| Project 2 | Synergy in Arts Independent "A" Class Winterguard | | Brass Choir | Jr. Drum and Bugle Corps | |
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Our five year plan includes filing for 501 (c)(3) tax exempt status (2010), the continuing development of Synergy in ArtsIndependent A Class Winterguard (2010-11), as well as the development of The Florida Sun Independent IndoorDrumline (2010-11), a Brass choir (2011-12), and a Jr. Drum and Bugle Corps (2013-14) along with other communityperformance ensembles. These groups will serve as vehicles to augment local music and dance education programs as
well as provide collaborative opportunities for the support of other local arts programs. We also plan to provide volunteer
opportunities for at-risk youth to gain a positive experience throughout our community.
We have developed a short questionnaire for local music educators that will provide valuable information regarding their needs. This will allow SAY to better serve our mission and be truly supportive of our community. When we have the infrastructure and finances in place to assist these local programs we will distribute the questionnaire and meet with any local music educators who are interested in developing a relationship with SAY.
When our performance groups are operational, we will pursue ways to team our marching arts and music performance
disciplines with other art disciplines to create new “synergistic” art. This could be visual and performing artists using
each other’s media for inspiration during the course of a project, which culminates in a performance piece that includes
complimenting visual elements. It could be a stage-oriented production combining elements of marching arts with more
traditional theatre. Most importantly we desire to open channels between young artists of all disciplines to explore what
can be created from that synergy.